I am an aquatic ecologist and Outreach Specialist in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. I am particularly interested in volunteer monitoring of Michigan's streams and lakes, community-based approaches to watershed management, natural resources leadership development, and improving our understanding of aquatic ecosystem health by assessing responses to disturbance.

I came to Michigan State University as an Outreach Specialist in 2008. Prior to joining the MSU faculty, I was a Watershed Ecologist at the Huron River Watershed Council in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I am a 2012 graduate of the Great Lakes Leadership AcademyÆsEmerging Leader Program. In 2011, I served in as President of the Michigan Chapter, North American Lake Management Society, and was honored as an Emerging Engagement Scholar by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.

As an Outreach Specialist, the majority of my work is focused on engaging with individuals and organizations to promote understanding and stewardship of aquatic ecosystems. Key partners in these efforts include Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Inc., and the Michigan Natural Features Inventory.